Poetry

Smash Mouth All Star

On 2017 April 11th by

The brief was to produce 500 words of creative writing based on a pop song. I decided to challenge myself by taking Smash Mouth’s “All Star”, pulling it apart word-by-word, and then piecing it back together to form a new narrative. I had to alter the punctuation to fit the new piece, but not a single letter was deleted, only moved somewhere else. Only a small few lines remain perfectly in-tact.

 

 

“Hey.

Break the mold.

Get your game on.

Differ.

Do.

Much to see.

Hit the ground running.

To

play,

and

play

well,

get

smart but

to the rules,

not to

the

stars.”

 

Well, the

smart

start

taking

back;

and they don’t stop,

We could all use a little change.

 

Go.

Go!

 

I hit the ground running.

I need to get myself away from

all

the rules and

this place.

So what’s wrong with

the

streets?

 

Your

concept

is

cool.

What’s wrong with

the

streets?

 

If you don’t

live for fun,

your

star

don’t glow.

 

Somebody once told me

my world’s

a

game

and

only shooting

rock

is gold.

I said yep, what a

game;

Didn’t make sense not to live for fun.

 

I could use a little

myself.

You’re

on.

 

Shooting

the ice.

“You’re

taking

now?”

“But

that’s the way I like it…”

“Your head gets dumb.”

“How about yours?”

“I ain’t

gonna

break the mold.

And I’ll never get bored.”

 

You

fed

the

glow.

Game on.

Now wait ’til

all that glitters.

 

It gets colder.

 

We skate

back

to

the

meteor,

but

might as well

only

break the

satellite.

 

All that glitters is

on

show.

All that glitters is gold.

And all that glitters is

gas,

so

all that glitters is

on fire.

Only

fuel.

 

Judging by the hole in

your head

You’ll never know

the shape of

years.

You’re bundled up,

and

getting pretty thin;

you get older

and

shed.

The

brain

gets dumb,

the world is

all

sharp.

 

Go play;

break

your

thumb.

Break the mold.

 

Somebody once asked, could I

“Est-

S-

S-

Spare some change?”

She was looking kind of dumb,

and they say

her

brain

didn’t make sense.

 

The mold.

 

You

beg

for

gold.

Gold.

You’ll never know if

you’ll

get paid.

Never shine if you

don’t

swim

in

shooting stars.

 

Now, you’re a

play-

tool,

fed to

the years,

and they don’t stop coming.

 

So

much

coming.

 

Hey, now,

roll,

get

with

men,

get paid.

Hey, now,

finger-

mold

an “L” on

her.

Get paid.

Hey, now,

start coming.

Shooting stars.

Get paid.

 

“Hey.”

“Hey,

get

on,

you’re an All Star.

Get

on.

You’re a Rock Star.”

(You’re

only

a Rock Star

if

I

get the show on.)

“Hey, now,

Hey, now,

Hey!”

You’re

shooting

and

it

gets

on

me.

The water’s getting warm.

“Rock Star.”

 

Get

coming and

go

to

your

star

place;

“You’re an…

an…

an…

 

…”

 

The show

gets

gold,

So you

don’t go.

Get the show,

get

gold,

and

stars.

Go

get your

star.

 

To do

so much,

To see

so much.

 

You’ll never shine.

 

And

the

stars?

Only

a

picture

in

her forehead.

 

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        |  ' .     :   :__.,'|/       |  \ 
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         \     \_   `--^"__,'        ,    | 
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          \  `                    /      / 
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              `.       ,   _,' 
                `-.___.---'

 

Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me

I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed

She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb

In the shape of an “L” on her forehead

 

Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming

Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running

Didn’t make sense not to live for fun

Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb

 

So much to do, so much to see

So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?

You’ll never know if you don’t go

You’ll never shine if you don’t glow

 

Hey, now, you’re an All Star, get your game on, go play

Hey, now, you’re a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid

And all that glitters is gold

Only shooting stars break the mold

 

It’s a cool place and they say it gets colder

You’re bundled up now wait ’til you get older

But the meteor men beg to differ

Judging by the hole in the satellite picture

 

The ice we skate is getting pretty thin

The water’s getting warm so you might as well swim

My world’s on fire. How about yours?

That’s the way I like it and I’ll never get bored.

 

Hey, now, you’re an All Star, get your game on, go play

Hey, now, you’re a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid

And all that glitters is gold

Only shooting stars break the mold

 

Hey, now, you’re an All Star, get your game on, go play

Hey, now, you’re a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid

And all that glitters is gold

Only shooting stars break the mold

 

Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas

I need to get myself away from this place

I said yep, what a concept

I could use a little fuel myself

And we could all use a little change

 

Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming

Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running

Didn’t make sense not to live for fun

Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb

 

So much to do, so much to see

So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?

You’ll never know if you don’t go

You’ll never shine if you don’t glow.

 

Hey, now, you’re an All Star, get your game on, go play

Hey, now, you’re a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid

And all that glitters is gold

Only shooting stars break the mold

 

And all that glitters is gold

Only shooting stars break the mold

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